New Arrival, Job Number 260045

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https://photos.app.goo.gl/MDgXvffegE9DUWYw8

New Arrival, Job Number 260022

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https://photos.app.goo.gl/rq7jm5cJi7nLfwmR7

New Arrival, Job Number 250114

Follow the alum for this project here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/sHcBuESwUPrFpFzo7

Sometimes we find something special inside.

New Arrival, Job Number 250085

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https://photos.app.goo.gl/qL15EzvVTE2RxBHJ7

New Arrival, Job Number 250077

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https://photos.app.goo.gl/PZq9uPC53GYXzkut8

New Arrival, Job Number 250006

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https://photos.app.goo.gl/CqgFiYdRvYwKCKKY9

New Arrival, Job Number 240059

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https://photos.app.goo.gl/7SCGz42xYxnmJFJSA

New Arrival, Job Number 230134

Formerly job number 210136...

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https://photos.app.goo.gl/SmiLyVBV8tB7uYoD7

New Arrival, Job Number 230119

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https://photos.app.goo.gl/avMaDcVGNfrmxAce8

Job Number 220062

 

This project is is a grade 63, 18 size, 11 jewels, made about 1874. It is a G. M. Wheeler model. This grade is also found in a 13 jewel version, having the center pivots jeweled.

The design is "transitional" in that it can wind both by the stem and with a key. The beveled pinion for stem winding is visible here. The key wind arbor is shown below.

This is one of those Elgins with a unique lever setting mechanism that moves a hoop-like gear, with teeth on the inside, against the cannon pinion. It is a clever design, but it was short lived. It can be hard to get these to work. The tension against the cannon pinion is low and tends to slip. This watch worked perfectly however with no trouble.

Here is the lever extended for setting mode. Note how that center ring shifts to engage the cannon pinion (not installed yet in this image).

The album for this project is here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/zZCSNDnGmh6i33keA

Job Number 220044

This movement is is a Elgin's grade 144, 18 size, 17 jewel version, made about 1905. It's a G.M. Wheeler model.

Find more G. M. Wheeler examples here.

Replacement crystal and it's ready for a few days of testing.

See the album for this project here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YP96xqvAQ8hrscHZ6

New Arrival, Job Numbers 210094

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https://photos.app.goo.gl/zMkhdy5wZThgSU6s5

Project link (all the posts):
https://pluspora.com/tags/210094_et

Follow all the projects in detail here: https://pluspora.com/tags/elgintime

 

New Arrival, Job Numbers 210039

See the album for this project here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/b1ksbj1dEdeYX5ho7

Project link (all the posts):
https://pluspora.com/tags/210039_et

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New Arrival, Job Number 180099

A G.M. Wheeler...

Job Number 180054, Part 1

This one is a really nice looking watch. But under the surface...

First of all it would not go into winding mode when the crown is snapped in. This generally means that the stem, part of the case (see "negative setting", here), does not go in far enough.

On most American watch cases, the stem sits in a sleeve. The sleeve is threaded into the neck of the case. By turning the sleeve in and out it's depth into the watch movement can be adjusted.

This case has a cap threaded down over the neck of the case. Unscrewing that allows the stem and sleeve to be removed.

On this case the sleeve, shown here, is not threaded. It just sits in there. The cap hold it in.

The stem depth, which does not work for this watch, is not adjustable! 

Here are all the parts in play here; the crown, the cap, the sleeve and the stem. Interestingly, the cap, machined brass, looks really new. It looks like someone may have made it recently.

It's worth pointing out once again at this point that Elgin never made pocketwatch cases (in general, there are some rare exceptions).  In those days, the common practice was that a customer would pick out a movement and a case separately at the shop and the watchmaker or jeweler would assemble them together.  Because of that the movement and the case don't go together in any way. There were not manufactured to work together, although the degree of standardization at the time was remarkable.

Here is a detail image of the sleeve. We can see the "fingers" at the right end that snap over a shoulder in the stem. The snap action on a negative setting watch is entirely a function of the case.

It's interesting to note that the top part has threads. These don't thread into anything.

This shows the crown, which threads on to the stem, the cap, and the top of the sleeve.

The stem...

The square tip of the stem, the part that goes into the movement has been altered with a file looks like.

Assembled, the crown sits really high.

In order to stand a chance at making this work, I need a stem that will go further down into the watch movement (longer at the square end). This is tricky. The stem this case needs is already not only unusually long, but also really large.

In addition, as shown above, the crown needs really a really big threaded end to fit on. I have to go through all the very largest stems I have to find one candidate replacement.

The stem below is the original. The one above I will alter to fit.

When comparing stems, the key is to line up that shoulder that the sleeve snaps over, as the are here. That point you can't move, although the other ends can be shortened or otherwise changed.

I needed to make several changes. First, the square end of my replacement was too large, and a bit long.

Here the upper stem is the original. Note again how it's been changed by whomever was in this mess last. The below stem is my replacement, as I modified it.

Changes like this are a tedious process of trial and error. You have to be extremely careful and go slowly frequently testing the fit. Remove too much material, and it's ruined. You can't put metal back. 

I also shortened the crown end so the crown would sit low enough. Too low though, and the crown will not snap down fully.

With all this down, the case correctly throws the movement from setting the winding - but barely. The crown almost can't go down far enough because of the way it fits over that brass cap.

Hard to say what the story is with this case, but it definitely wasn't made for a movement like this one.

Now on to the movement itself.

The only odd thing to note are a set of raised divots under the pallet bridge. People do this (unfortunately) to adjust the end-shake of the moving part, the pallet fork in this case.

I see this all the time under balance cocks. But if I've ever seen it done for a pallet fork I can't think of when. I can't imagine why this would be needed.

Indeed, the divots have also been filed down again, flat.

Here's the underside of the three-fingered bridge, showing the secondary serial number stamp.

This is a is a grade 338 Elgin, 16 size, 17 jewels, made about 1910. 

Elgin Grade 57

This movement is an Elgin grade 57, 18 size, that was made in 11 and 13 jewel version. It is key-wind and key-set.

This one is 11 jewels.

This movement has the old English style tangential escapement. But even more unusual, on the oldest Elgin pocketwatches the pallet was quite narrow and longer that what they went to just a couple years into production.

This is a named movement, G. M. Wheeler, with a serial number below 100,000, dating it to 1868.

Here are some images showing the blued steel parts of the ratchet. The click on this one is also an older style. It's not possible to replace these parts anymore. These are in great shape though!

The front bezel unscrews to set the time. You can see the square arbor in the center in this photo. A key is used to directly turn the hands. This is a delicate operation as the hands are very easy to damage.

Also there is a domed, plastic crystal on here, really the only down side...

The dial is marked "National" and not Elgin. The company was named for it's first couple of year, the National Watch Company. This dial makes this piece extra collectible.

Check out all the photos of this watch here.